Robert lee wilson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

4 R. L. WILSON. v REVOLVING STEEL DOME ATTACHMENT FOR MAIL OR EXPRESS CARS.

No. 544,338. Patented Aug. 18,1895.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. L. WILSON. REVOLVING STEEL DOME ATTACHMENT FOR MAIL 0R EXPRESS CARS. No. 544,338. Patented Aug. 13, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT LEE \VILSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGhT OR OF TWO-THIRDS TO HENRY F. SCHWE NKER AND MAGGIE WILSON}, OF SAME PLACE.

REVOLVING fSTEEL-DOME ATTACHMENT FORMAIL 0R EXPRESS CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 544,338, dated August 13, 1895.

1 Application filed November 14, 1894. Renewed June 29, 1895. Serial No. 554,504. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT LEE WILSON, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible and Revolving Steel- Dome Bandit, Burglar, and Bullet Proof Attachments for Railway Mail orExpress Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. I

My invention relates to a reversible and revolving steel-dome bandit, burglar, and bullet proof attachment for railway mail andexpress cars; and it consists in the novel con struction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to mount a boom upon the top of a railway mail or express car, said boom to carry on its outer ends steel domes or compartments in which a person may locate himself, said boom to be pivoted to the top of the car in such a manner as that said boom can be moved in a'horizontal plane at any angle relative to the car.

A further object of my invention is to construct an attachment of this class that is thoroughly bullet-proof and possesses superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efliciency.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is atop plan view of a railway-car having myinvention applied thereto as required for practical use. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of a railway-car, and showing my attachment mounted thereon. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a horizontal sectional view taken on the indicated line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and showing the dome in its extended or raised position. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the indicated line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the indicated line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken approximately on the indicated line 7 7 of. Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the center bearing upon which the boom is pivoted. Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of a portion of the boom and a pinion or gear-wheel mounted upon a shaft carried by said boom. Fig. 10

is an elevation of one of the port-holes that is formed in the dome, said elevation being takenfromthe inside of the dome.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates a railway mail or express car, upon the longitudinal center of which is bolted a face-cog or gear-wheel 2, the same being formed in'sections. Bolted to the top of the car and in the center of this face-wheel 2 is a plate 3, having formed integral therewith the shoulder 4, from which vertically extends a shaft 5, on the top of which is mounted a swivel 6, the same being provided with a pair of arms 7, in the outer ends of which are formed eyes 8. i

The boom 9, of which I make use, is preferably a T-bar, in the center of -which is formed a bearing 10, through which passes a vertical aperture 11, whereby said boom is swung or pivoted uponthe vertical shaft 5. To the outer ends of the boom 9 are secured the outer ends of stay-rods 12, the same being connected by turnbuckles 13 to stay-rods 14, the meeting ends of which are hooked in the ends of the arms 7 of the swivel 6 that is mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 5. Mounted upon each end of the boom 9 by means of bands 15, the ends of which are bolted to the ends of the boom, are two cylinders 16, the same being constructed of sheet-steel or analogous material. These cylinders 16 are provided with closed bottoms, in which are located rectangular apertures 17, that are adapted to be closed by sliding doors 18. An aperture 19 is formed in the top of the car, said aperture being so located as to register with the aperture 17 in the bottom of the cylinders 16 when said cylinders occupy their normal position, or as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Mounted in bearings 20 fixed to the boom 9 is a shaft 21, on the forward end of which is rigidly mounted a gear-wheel or pinion 22, that meshes with the teeth of the face gearwheel 2, that is bolted to the top of the car. The rear end of this shaft 21, which terminates adjacent the cylinders 16, has rigidly mounted thereon a pinion 23.

Mounted for rotation in a bearing 24 fixed to one end of the boom 9 and adjacent one of the cylinders 16 is a stub-shaft 25, upon which ICO ounted a gear-wheel 26, that meshes with view of both ends of the train may be obpinion 23 on the rear end of the shaft 21. tained,said messenger manipulates the crankend of this stub-shaft 25 is adapted to handle 28, which in turn rotates the gearive the end of ashaft 27 carried by an wheel 26. Said. gear-wheel 26 meshing with nary crank-handle 28. the pinion 23, mounted upon the shaft 21, said ormed on orfixed to the upper edges of the pinion and shaft are rotated. The pinion 22 nder 16 are bearings 29,having sprocketbeing rigidly mounted upon the forward end els 30 mounted for rotation therein. of the shaft 21 and meshing with the face- L indicates a cylinder in the form of a wheel 2, the result of the manipulation of the re, the same being constructed of sheetcrank-handle 28 will be to turn the boom, car- 1 or analogous material, the diameter of rying on each end the cylinders and domes l dome being slightly larger than is that to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. he cylinder 16. The upper end 32 of this 1 or in any desired position or angle relative 1e 31 is flared outwardly a slight distance, the car. The messenger, having thus advanin this flaring portion is located a numtageously positioned himself, swings any one of loop-holes 33, the same being closed by of the doors 34: to one side and uses such nging doors or covers 34. The doine'31 is weapons or firearms as he may have at his mally positioned and held upon the cylincommand through the loop-holes 33.

16, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. A vertical Should there be two messengers or persons 35 allows said dome to occupy this norin charge of the car, they may each locate 1 position as the shaft 27 passes-into said themselves in the cylinders and domes. This 35. Fixed to 'the inside of the cylinder being the case, and the boom moved at right are spring-catches 36, the upper ends of angles to the car upon which it is mounted, ich are bent at right angles to the body a view and command of each side of the full tions and are passed through apertures length of the train may be had. near the upper edge of the cylinder 16. When the weapon or firearm is withdrawn ienever the dome 31 is raised to the posifrom the loop-hole 33, the swinging door 34 1 as shown in Fig. 4. the ends of these by gravity immediately close said loop-will 5 ches 36 are adapted to pass through aperhole. es 38 formed near the lower edges of the Thus it will be seen how aperfectlybulletne 31, thereby efficiently holding said dome proof retreat is provided for the messenger or a raised position. person in charge of the car, said retreat being iigidly fixedto the interior of the dome adapted to be moved by the messenger at any and near the lower edges thereof, are angle relative the car upon which the boom 'ocket-chains 39,the same passing upwardly carrying said retreat is mounted. ar the sprocket-wheels 30, and from thence What I claim is wnwardly to a point near the aperture 17, 1. An attachment for railway cars, comprisere they are connected to the upper end of ing a boom pivoted upon said car, and teleto 5 hort ladder 40, which may be of any ordiscoping cylinders carried by said boom. ry construction, said ladder 40 extending 2. An attachment for railway cars, compriswnwardly through the aperture 19 in the ing a boom pivoted upon the car, telescoping of the car. cylinders carried by said boom, and means 7 [he foregoing description has been confor moving the boom to any angle relative the I I0 ed to one cylinder and dome, but the concar. motion and operation of both cylinders and 3. An attachment for railway cars,comprismes are identical. ing a boom pivoted to the top of and at the The operation is as follows: When a train longitudinal center of the car, metallic cyle mail or express car of which is provided inders carried by the ends of said boom, men 5 th an attachment is attacked by bandits tallic domesprovided withloop-holes telescoprobbers, the express-messenger or official ing upon said cylinders, and mechanism opcharge of the car grasps the ladder 4O erating from one of the cylinders to the cen- .d pulls downwardly on the same. This ter of the boom for moving said boom at any ises the dome'31 from its normal position angle relative the car upon which it is an upright or extended position, Fig 4. mounted. 'hen said dome 31 has reached the proper 4.. An attachment for railway cars,comprisiight the spring-catches 36 will engage in ing a bearing bolted to the top of and in the .e apertures 38, thereby securely positioning longitudinal center of the car, a boom pivoted ,e dome upon the cylinder 16. The messenupon said bearing, a face-gear-wheel bolted 12 5 31 now enters the dome and cylinder through to the top of the car'around and concentric .e aperture 19. The ladder 40 having been with said center bearing, cylinders carried by ,sengaged from the lower ends of the the ends of said boom, cylindrical domes )rocket-chains 39, the sliding door 18 is poadapted to telescope upon said cylinders, the tioned directly over the aperture 17, thereby tops of said domes being flaring and provided rmly closing and covering said aperture. with loopholes, swinging-doors adapted to hould it be an ad vantage to the messenger cover said loop-holes, spring-catches adapted be positioned a short distance away from to hold the domes in their extended positions, ie side of the express-car, in order that a ashaft mounted in bearings fixed to the dome and extending from the face gearwheel on top of the car to one cylinder, pinions mounted upon said shaft, one of which meshes with the face-gear-wheel, the other pinion meshing with a gear-wheel, the shaft of which is operated from the interior of the cylinder, and sprocket-chains and sprocket-wheels mounted upon the inner sides of the dome and cylinder for raising or extending said cylinders when desired.

5. The combination of a railway car, and a boom pivoted upon the top of said car, said boom carrying bullet proof cylinders and I domes on its outer ends.

domes, and means for moving said boom at 7 any angle relative the car upon which it is mounted.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT LEE WILSON. Witnesses:

E. E. LONGAN, M10. 0. HIGDON. 

